I remember watching the movies when I was around 7 or 8 and the scene with the Urak-Hai hatching freaked me out so bad I didn’t watch the rest of the movies until I was 18.

[–] hydrashok@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I read it to my kids when they were each around 7-8 years old. They still have not yet watched the movies.

There are scary parts, but it makes the resolution that much sweeter. But they were also prepared for it because we were reading at that level. I didn’t go from Dr Seuss to Tolkien.

(Also, as a casual book nerd, if you’re at the point of reading LOTR to your kids, I’d also highly recommend reading them Moby Dick.)

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I wish my kid could sit still for that kind of thing. We have been at the Hobbit for over two months and we just now got to the trolls.

[–] phdepressed@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 month ago

Every child is different and reading is different than watching. The movies were pg-13, the books probably fit that determination as well. But when a particular child is actually "ready" has to be determined by parent and to some degree the child.

There's no uruk-hai hatch scene in the books at least. I read them starting at 7 or 8ish myself and don't recall any related nightmares.